Electric switch



Aug. 6, 1940. .L sAcHs 2.210.501

imm-mm: sumen' Filed April 15. 19:57 2 sheets-sneer 1 Aug. 6, 1940.v J:SACHS 2.210.501

ELEGTRIC SWITCH Filed April 13. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 tarngy Patentedug. 6, 1940 Parmi oFFIcE c 2,210,5ll

ELECTRIC SWITCH Iloseph Sachs, West Hartford, Conn., assigner to ColtsPatent Fire firms Manufacturing Com pany, Hartford, Conn., a corporationci Connecticut Application April i3, 11h37, Serial No. 136,629

4i Claims.

One object of the invention is to provide a v switch having certainnovel features of construclil In the accompanying drawings l have showntwo embodiments of the invention, but it will be understood that thedrawings are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not to beconstrued as dening or limiting the scope of the invention, the claimsforming a part of this lspecification being relied upon for thatpurpose.

In the drawings:

' Fig. l is a front elevation of a switch embody? Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the switch of Fig. l

with a portion of the casing broken away to show a sectional view takenon the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken on the lines 3 3, and 4--4,respectively, of Fig. l., the switching parts being shown in diiierentpositions in the two figures.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of 'another switch embodying the principlesof the invention, a portion of the casing being broken away.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6*@ of Fig. 5, the outlineof the fuses being shown in dot-dash lines.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 5,'certainportions being broken away to more clearly show the construction.

Fig. 8 is a View taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5 with the cover omittedand certain parts vindicated in another position in dotted lines.

Fig. 9 is a'sectional view of the switch itself taken on the line 9 9 ofFig. 5, with the switching parts in the on position.

Fig. l is a view similar to Fig. 9 butshowing the switching parts in theoff position.

s Referring now to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4, I have shown 'acasing which may be of any desired form and may include a box Vportion Ihaving such knockouts 2 asmay be desired, and a cover 3 which ispreferably hinged to the box portion at 4. A detent 5 is provided forholding the cover-in closed position.

The. particular switch shown is adapted for use in a twowire system, butthe principles of the invention arel applicable to switches having adiiferent number of poles.

A lbase 6 of insulating material is secured in the contacts.

(Cl. Zilli- 1.54)

the box by screws l'. A. sheet or" insulating material t may, ifdesired, be placed between the block and the back of the box. .d grooveil is preferably formed in the rear face of the base E and there ispositioned adjacent one wall of this groove a switch Contact iii whichmay inn clude an angularly extending portion li to which is secured aline circuit connector l2. A

screw 'i3 serves to secure the contact i2 to the base t. Another switchcontact lll is provided adjacent the other side wall of the groove 9and, as shown, it is preferably positioned opposite the contact lli. Thecontact lf3 preferably includes an angular portion iii which may besecured to the base by a bolt and nut i6 which may also serve as thecenter contact for a plug type fuse. A screw threaded fuseI receivingmeans il' is secured to the base and electrically connected to a loadcircuit connector i8 by a conductor iii.

.For `cooperating with the switch contacts lil and lil provide aswitching member which in the illustrated form comprises a member ofinsulating material and a U-shaped electrical conductor 2l having thelegs of the U positioned on opposite sides of the member 2i). Theswitching member is preferably mounted for rectilinear movement adjacentthe rear or' the base. When the base has a groove such as shown at 9formed therein the switch "uber may be positioned in the groove. i theparticular switch illustrated the switch contacts lll and it extendinward from the walls or' the groove 9 and therefore also serve to guidethe switching mema ber in its movements. `The length of the mem- -ber isless than the length of the groove t in which it is positioned, it beingapparent that as the switching member is -reciprocated in the groove,the legs of the conductor 2l will be moved into and out ofA engagementwith the contacts 'l0 and I4 to close and open the circuit throughpivotal axis will produce a 'simultaneous recipro` The operatcation ofthe switching member. ing meinbermay include a handle 21.

In accordance with this phase of the invenf assembly embodying certainother principles of tion, means are provided for effecting a quickaction movement of the switching member to at least one of 'itspositionsand preferably to both of them. While other means may be usedfor this purpose, the 4construction which I now prefer includes tensionsprings 28. These springs have one end thereof anchored with respect tolthe base 6, and in the form shown, hooks 29 are provided on the lowerends of the springs for effecting the anchorage as shown at 30. Thesesprings are positioned in slots 3| in the base and have their upper endssecured to proections 32 on the operatingl member. `It is apparent fromFigs. 3 and 4 that the longitudinal axes of the springs will move fromone side tothe other of the pivotal axis of the operating member as thelatter is moved to its circuit closing and opening positions, and due tothis over center movement i a quick action will result.

In the construction shown, the springs 28 serve the additional functionof and constitute the sole means for holding the base and operatingmember in assembled relationship and therebyy eliminate the necessity ofproviding other means for this purpose. v v

It is apparent that a base, operating member, and switching member madein accordance with theprinciples of this phase of the invention may bereadily assembled and disassembled. Detachable means are preferablyprovided for prevent` ing rearward movement of the switching memberrelative to the base 6 and the contacts I9 and I4, and means may beadditionally provided for. preventing endwise separation of the lbaseand switching member.. Inthe illustrated switch the rear of the casing lis detachably connected with the base and functions to prevent rearwardmovement of the switching member. The width of the casing is such thatthe side walls thereof constitute means for preventing endwise separa-,tion of the base and switching member. As a result ofv thisconstruction, upon removal of the operating member from the base for anyreason, the casing and switch may be freely handled without danger ofdropping or losing the switching member, or the switching-member may befreely separated `from the base and switch contaots if desired by merelyremoving the base from the casing. It should be'understood, howevei.that the side walls of the casing may, if desired, be spacedsufficiently farapart to permit the endwise removal of the switchingmember from the base while in the casing upon disengagement of theoperating member therefrom.

AV solid neutral such as shown at ably provided.

33 is prefer- The casing cover 3 is sultably slotted' at 34 so that thehandle 21 may project therethrough and the slot is preferably of suchsize that when the switch is on, as shown in Fig. 3, the side of thehandle almost engages the right hand end wall of the slot. VWith thisconstruction any attempt to open the cover 3 while the switch is on willeffect movement of the switch to off position because the just mentionedend wall of the slot 34 will, as it pivots about the hinges 4, push thehandle toward o position until the 'latter passes its dead centerposition whereupon the springs 28"will move'it to its full offposition.v In Figs. .-5 vthrough 10 I have shown a switch the invention.

In accordance withthe broader aspects of, this phase of the invention,any desired form of switch per se may be used, however, for the purposesof this specification, I have illustrated the form of switch which I nowconsider preferable', and which is in many respects, similar to 1 thatshownin Figs. 1 through 4.'

This assembly includes aV box portion 5I having knockouts 52, and acover 53 which is preferably hinged to thebox at 54. Mounted -within thebox isa base.55 of insulating material which is generally similar to thebase 6 shown inthe form illustrated in Figs. 1 through 44. 'I'he rearface of the base is grooved at 56 and positioned at the opposite sidesof this groovel are switch contacts 51 and 58., The contacts 51 includeyangularly related portions 59 through which th:

bolts 69 extend. The bolts 60 in conjunction with the nuts thereon serveto secure the c'ontacts 51 to the base, and also function as linecircuit connectors. include angular portions 6I to which maybe securedclips 62 adapted to hold cartridge typeA fuses such as shown at 63. Thecentral portion' of the contacts 58 may have screw threaded aperturestherein with which screws 64 may en gage for securing the contacts andassociated clips to the base. Fuse clips 65 are secured to the base andelectrically connected to load circuit connectors 66 by the conductors61. The fuse clips 62 and 35 are so mounted on the base that theyvproject from one edge surface thereof so as to receive fuses withtheir' axes extending perpendi'cularly to the back of the casing withthe line side contact ends thereof positioned adjacent the back of thecasing.

A rectilinearly movable switching member is The contacts 58` preferablyprovided which comprisesa member 68 of insulating material carryingelectrical conductors 69 for connecting the switch'contacts 51 and 58vto complete circuits therethrough. An operating member 10 having pivots1I thereon'supported in groovesv12 in the front face of the base servesto reciprocate the switching member in a manner similar to that of theform shown in Figs. 1

through 4. Over center tension springs 13 are provided for causing'quick action movement of the operating member 19 and for holding the ppivots 1I in the grooves 12. The springs 13 are positioned in slots 14in the base and their opposite ends lare secured to the base and theoperating member at 15 and- 13 respectively. A solid neutral 11 ispreferably mounted on the base 55.

Attention is called' to the relationship between' the plane of movementof the switching and operating members .and the position of the fuseclips, this being such that the fuse clips are adapted to receive thefuses with their longitudinal axes lying in a plane parallel to theplane of movement of the switching and operating members. As a result ofpositioning these parts in this manner the vertical dimension of theswitch and fuse assembly, as viewed in Fig. 5, is relatively small, andconsequently in a given size of casing a maximum amount of space is leftlavailable vfor wiring.

If desired', a piece of insulating material 18 may be secured to theca'sing so as to extend over the line connections, the lower edge beingpositioned under the members 19. The casing cover 53 is preferablyslotted to receive the handle portionof the operating member 'and theend wall of this slot'is adapted to move the operating member to its offposition when the cover is opened.

While I have illustrated this phase of the invention as it may beapplied to a two pole, solid neutral type of switch, it should beunderstood that the principles thereof maybe utilized in switches havinga greater or lesser number of poles.

I have shown, and more particularly in Fig.V 8, a cover and switchinterlocking means for preventing movement of the switching member to onposition when the cover is open.. Pivoted to the side of the casing is alever 30 having a portion 8| extending angularly therefrom and whichprojects into a recess 82 in the base. The lever is biased by a spring83 to a position in which the portion 8i is in the path of movement ofthe switching member and when in this position, shown in dotted lines inFig. 8, it serves to block movement of the switching member to onposition, that is, to the left as viewed in Fig. 10. When the cover isclosed, the end portion 84 of the lever is pushed toward the rear of thecasing to cause the portion 8l of the lever to move out of the path ofmovement of the switching member against the tension of the spring 83.

Certain of the features of the switch assembly shown in Figs. 5 through10 are disclosed and claimed in my divisional application Serial No.183,331, filed January .4, 1938, which has matured into Patent No.2,168,540.

What I claim is: v

1. An electric switch comprising in vcombination, an insulating base,stationary switch contacts, a movable switching member adjacent the rearof the base and adapted to open and close a circuit through said switchcontacts, an operating member pivoted on the base for movement about anaxis near the front thereof and incl'uding a portion projecting rearwardinto engagement with said switching member whereby oscillation of theoperating member serves to move said switching member, spring meanssecured to` the base and operating member for imparting a quick actionmovement to the operating member, andmean's having a detachableconnection with the base for normally preventing separation of the baseand switching member, said switching member being removable from thebase upon detachment of said means from the base andwithout detachmentof said-spring means.

2. An electric switch comprising in combination, an insulating basehaving an aperture therethrough from front to rear, stationary switchcontacts mounted on the base, a rectilinearly movable switching memberadjacent the rear of the base and adapted to open and close a circuitthrough said switch contacts, an operating member pivoted on the basefor movement about an axis near the front thereof and including aportion projecting rearward into the said aperture and into engagementwith said switching member whereby oscillation of the operating memberserves to reciprocate said switching member,

" spring means secured to the base and operating member for imparting aquick action movement to the operating member, and means having adetachable connection with the base for normally preventing separationof the base and switching member, said switching member being removablefrom the base upon detachment of said means from the base and withoutdetachment of said spring means.

3. An electric switch comprising in combination, an insulating basehaving an aperture therethrough from front to rear, stationary switchcontacts, a switching member adjacent the rear of the base andrectilinearly movable to circuit opening and closing positions, anoperating member pivoted on the base for movement about' an axis nearthe front thereof, said operating member including a portion projectingrearward into said aperture and into engagement with' said switchingmember whereby oscillation of the operating member serves to reciprocatesaid switching member, spring means secured to the base and operatingmember for eiecting a quick action movement of the switching member toatleast one of its positions and constituting the sole means for holdingand the sole means for maintaining said base and operating member inassembled relationship, and means having a detachable connection withthe base for normally preventing separation of the base and switchingmember, said switching member being removable from the base upondetachment of said means from the base and without detachment of saidspring means.

4. An electric switch comprising in combination, an insulating basehaving a groove in the rear face thereof, stationary switch contactsmounted on the base, a switching member positioned in said groove andrectilinearly-movable to circuit opening and closing positions, anoperating member pivoted on the base for movement about'an axis nearthev front thereof and including a portion projecting rearward intoengagement with said switching member whereby oscillation of theoperating member serves to reciprocate said switching member, meanshaving a detachable connection with the base for normally preventingseparation of the switching member and base, said switching member beingfreely removable from the base upon detachment of said means from thebase, and a spring having one end anchored with respect to the base andthe other end secured to the operating member so that thelongitudinalaxis of the spring moves from one side to the other of thepivotal axis of the operating member as the latter is moved to itscircuit closing and opening positions to thereby effect a quick actionmovement of the operating member to said positions, said springconstituting the sole means for maintaining said base and operatingmember in assembled relationship. J H SACHS

